Q: What is SmartSearch Marketing?
A: We’re a marketing agency, and we specialize in one thing only, search-engine optimization. Businesses are realizing they need to be visible for things that are related to them and that’s where we come in. We’re a midsized agency with 15 people.
Q: What is search-engine optimization?
A: When you search on Google and get all the stuff in the middle, or organic results. Search-engine optimization has to do with making changes to your website so that Google understands what business you’re in. On the other side of the page you see the ads. We help our clients with that. To get better results in the middle, you look at things like the navigation of sites so Google can crawl and read the whole thing. You want there to be a tight correlation between the way people actually search and the words on your website. The tighter the correlation, the better your results are going to be.
Q: How did you get into this business?
A: I received a master’s from the University of Colorado in telecommunications. Then I worked for US West for 10 years, a lot of that time was spent in marketing and internal communications. That’s what really launched me on my love of the Internet. I was part of an Intranet project there. Then I worked for Microsoft in Denver, for a product called Sidewalk.com, as director of consumer marketing.
When Microsoft sold Sidewalk, I decided to stay here and began working as an e-marketing consultant. I was so impressed with search marketing I decided to start my own company. That was in 1999 and, believe it or not, that makes me a veteran in this industry.
Q: Why is Google so successful?
A: Today over 40 percent of all searches conducted in the U.S. occur on Google. That’s a huge market share. I think a lot of it is ingrained consumer habit. They’ve been going to Google, they’re not dissatisfied with the results, so they’re not looking to change it.
There’s a feeling that Google is not money-hungry ads everywhere, that it’s more about being helpful and providing relevant results. That’s the perception, but it’s not that much different from Yahoo and MSN, when you look at.
Q: You have a lot of business-to-business clients. How does that differ from traditional consumer marketing techniques?
A: Oftentimes the website is all about lead generation. You’re not going to sell a half million dollar server online, but you could use your website to explain your offering and differentiate yourself from competition. We have a lot of clients in that scenario. B2B has been slower than B2C to wake up to the power of search marketing. If you’re not there when someone searches for something directly related to your product or service, it’s an opportunity cost lost.
Q: Why do clients call you?
A: A lot of times a business owner will go out there and do a search, and they’re nowhere to be found. The average Joe businessman is not out there optimizing his website actively. But some are and they get a big competitive advantage from doing it. Being on the first page of Google is a pretty powerful thing. I think some businesses have learned that the hard way. With the ebbs and flows of the search results businesses can really see their bottom line fluctuate.
Q: You work with your husband, Dale Hursh. How did that come about?
A: The company was growing like gangbusters, and I decided I needed some help. Working with your husband is an interesting thing. In fact, I think I should write a book about it. We have complementary skill sets. He comes from high-tech sales. Dale’s much more involved in running the company and business development. We actually work well together now. The first six months were tough.
Edited for space and clarity from an interview by staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson.
